History, History, Everywhere…

From a history buff perspective, Florence was sometimes frustrating. I didn’t know enough and Florence wasn’t set up to fill in the gaps. The physical remnants of Florentine history are everywhere, but historical explanations are a bit thin on the ground. Renaissance palaces, forts, and churches are open as museums, but the emphasis is on…

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Road Trip Through History: In Search of Roman Florence

When you’re in the heart of Florence, it’s hard to remember that anything happened there other than the Renaissance.  You can find the Etruscans in the nearby village of Fiesole.  Sienna is essentially a medieval town.  But Florence seems to be all Renaissance, all the time. In fact, the city of Florentia was founded by…

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Road Trip Through History: Climbing Brunelleschi’s Dome

One of the first things My Own True Love and I did in Florence was visit Brunelleschi’s dome.*   I suspect we are not alone in making that choice. The first thing you need to know about visiting the Duomo is that it is part of a complex of impressive buildings, made up of the cathedral,…

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